Dr. Jerry Ice, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mountain State University, announced the termination of the employment of Dr. Charles H. Polk as President of Mountain State University in a brief statement released by the Board today.
Dr. Ice will assume the role of acting president until an interim president can be appointed. Dr. Ice, Vice Chairman Max Beard and trustees will work with current faculty and senior administrators on day-to-day operations and in responding to the concerns of the West Virginia Board of Nursing and the Higher Learning Commission regarding accreditation issues.
The board will implement a plan to search for a permanent president in the coming weeks.
"Despite this action coming in the middle of the academic year, we do not anticipate it will cause any negative disruption to the lives of our students and faculty. The Board of Trustees is fully committed to working with the current staff and dedicated faculty to provide needed support to ensure that Mountain State University fulfills its mission to provide quality education that is accessible to a diverse student population," said Dr. Ice.
This was a rather surprising announcement, especially in that he either chose not to resign, or was not given the option to do so. Given his history with the university, I would have expected resignation to be the chosen route, rather than termination. As an MSU student, I am interested to see what the board of trustees will do moving forward to make clear the distinction in leadership style between Dr. Polk and the succeeding President, and the subsequent implications on organizational direction and culture.
Posted by: Matthew Rowley | 01/20/2012 at 10:43 AM
I was an employee of an educational institution that went through "show cause" and eventually lost its accreditation. Now being a student at an institution on "show cause" I am concerned. Sacking a president is not a solution if the accademic concerns of the accrediting body are justified. As a student this is a major issue. To wake up one day and realize that the institution you were going to graduate from no longer exist is a frightening prospect. I do hope that the powers that be do not make the mistake of my old employer and keep the employees and student in the dark. I have learnt that whereas the buck stops at the President's desk, the root cause of most of the problems in cases of this nature are administrators who remain in the same positions long after the President is gone and who continue to operate the University in the same manner that got us in this mess in the first place.
Do not think for a minute that sacking the President means all is well. "Show cause " is a death sentence if not resolved quickly and adequately. Let us hope this termination is not window dressing but the first step in resolving what appears to be serious concerns.
Posted by: Stephen Toppin | 01/21/2012 at 08:42 PM